Hacking My CycloDS 1.4 firmware impressions

[Dsparil]

EDIT: I figured out that my issues were solved by loading a game into NOR for the first time. Even after erasing the NOR, it was still detecting my New3in1.


I hate to say it because I love my CycloDS dearly and appreciate the hardwork Team Cyclops has done, but I believe that 1.4 needed more development time before being released.

Here is my configuration:
White CycloDS 1.1
Firmware 1.4 Final
Transcend Class 6 4gb microSDHC
White New3in1

Test 1: GBA
I loaded up my favorite GBA game "Super Mario Advance 4 - Super Mario Bros. 3", but I got a warning stating that 1MBit savs does not work(Nothing was stated in the readme about this). It loaded the rom anyways but corrupted the save file, and the game would not continue after that.

I was disapointed, but I proceeded to try another game: I loaded up "Super Mario Advance 2 - Super Mario World", and it worked flawlessly. I restarted the game to make sure it would load my saved game, and it worked.

Test 2: Rumble
I loaded up Star Fox Command and felt a slight vibration as the rom finished loading, but after I started playing, the game would not vibrate. I thought that maybe it would be an issue with that specific game, so I tried out Super Princess Peach to find out that the result was one and the same.

Test 3: NDS Browser
My result was that the NDS Browser does not work.

Test 4: GBAExploader Compatibility
It still works flawlessly, but you have to make sure that rumble is enabled in the CycloDS menu, or enabling rumble support with GBAExploader won't work.

Conclusion:
The newer model of the EZ Flash 3-in-1 is having issues with the 1.4f firmware, but at least it's compatible with GBA roms, so that's a good sign. However, since games that use 1MBit saves doesn't work unpatched and because the newer model of the EZ Flash 3-in-1 doesn't work with Rumble and NDS Browser, I will stick with GBAExploader until these issues are solved in a future firmware.

For people that have an older model of the EZ Flash 3-in-1, I'm sure that this firmware is nice, but you may still want to stick with GBAExploader if you do not want to patch games that uses 1MBit saves.



Copy of Changelog:

- v1.4 (19/6/2008)

* Homebrew soft reset added, allowing you to reset back to the CycloDS Evolution
GUI from almost any homebrew software with a simple button combination
* BETA GBA support added, allowing you to launch GBA games directly from
the CycloDS GUI. ROMs are automatically patched when necessary, and save
files are managed automatically by CycloDS (which are compatible with
GBA ExpLoader). Either CycloDS Mini/Micro or EZ3in1 is required for GBA support
* Both NOR and PSRAM mode supported for GBA ROMs via EZ3in1
* NDS Pokemon Wii Pokemon Battle Revolution connection fixed for all regions
* Added option of booting from slot 2 in either NDS or GBA mode
* Added support for new 3in1 cards
* 16-bit bitmaps now supported (skins + GBA frame)
* Increased the number of allowed fragments, which should reduce
the "filesystem too fragmented" error
* Random skin selection has been made more random
* When using EZ3in1, NDS Browser auto-patching now works after soft-resetting
from a rumble enabled game
* Game compatibility fix (2343)
* Miscellaneous reliability and user-friendliness improvements

 

[gratefulbuddy]

Test 3: NDS Browser
I read the readme and found out that you have to softreset from a rumble enabled game when using a 3in1

Thats is your misinterpretation. Previously, the 3n1 wouldn't be recognized when launching the Opera browser after having been reset from a rumble game. Now this should work correctly. It does not mean you have to start a rumble game, then soft-reset, then launch the opera browser.

 

[Dsparil]

Test 3: NDS Browser
I read the readme and found out that you have to softreset from a rumble enabled game when using a 3in1

Thats is your misinterpretation. Previously, the 3n1 wouldn't be recognized when launching the Opera browser after having been reset from a rumble game. Now this should work correctly. It does not mean you have to start a rumble game, then soft-reset, then launch the opera browser.

Thanks for pointing that out (I did not beta test, so I didn't know what this was about)

 

[budrow66]

Also the GBA function is in beta stages, GBAExploder didnt do 1 mb sav either when it started...
Give it time.

 

[Dsparil]

Also the GBA function is in beta stages, GBAExploder didnt do 1 mb sav either when it started...
Give it time.

If that was my only issue, I wouldn't mind patching those games that uses 1MBit saves. However, I am hopeful that the new 3in1 will be fully supported in a future firmware update.

 

[gratefulbuddy]

According to GBA EXPLoader v0.57 one of my 3n1s is a [New3n1]. Using Cyclo v1.4, Opera works fine (auto-detects for ram), and the rumble function works appropriately.

 

[Chrono_Tata]

Test 2: Rumble
I loaded up Star Fox Command and felt a slight vibration as the rom finished loading, but after I started playing, the game would not vibrate. I thought that maybe it would be an issue with that specific game, so I tried out Super Princess Peach to find out that the result was one and the same.

Works fine for me. You sure you enabled it in-game?

 

[Dsparil]

Test 2: Rumble
I loaded up Star Fox Command and felt a slight vibration as the rom finished loading, but after I started playing, the game would not vibrate. I thought that maybe it would be an issue with that specific game, so I tried out Super Princess Peach to find out that the result was one and the same.

Works fine for me. You sure you enabled it in-game?

Works fine when I use it with GBAExploader, so that's not the issue.

edit: yes, I checked.

Are your sure your 3-in-1 is the new model?

 

[Dsparil]

According to GBA EXPLoader v0.57 one of my 3n1s is a [New3n1]. Using Cyclo v1.4, Opera works fine (auto-detects for ram), and the rumble function works appropriately.

It doesn't work for me. Is your New3in1 black or white?

 

[Rock Raiyu]

I'm just having problems loading up some homebrew. Sometimes I get a white screen, but sometimes I don't but some homebrew where I need to connect to wi-fi don't work.

 

[Chrono_Tata]

Works fine when I use it with GBAExploader, so that's not the issue.

edit: yes, I checked.

Are your sure your 3-in-1 is the new model?

I got it only 3 weeks ago, so it should be the new model.

 

[gratefulbuddy]

According to GBA EXPLoader v0.57 one of my 3n1s is a [New3n1]. Using Cyclo v1.4, Opera works fine (auto-detects for ram), and the rumble function works appropriately.

It doesn't work for me. Is your New3in1 black or white?

Black. But it seems that something may be wrong on your end. Not just some different and unsupported hardware model/revision that no-one else has, but a malfunction/break/bad install/wrong setting.

 

[PS3sixty]

I'm also having trouble with the Cyclo GUI's GBA feature. I tried Advance Wars, Street Fighter Alpha 3, F-Zero Maximum Velocity, Mario Kart Super Circuit, and they all play fine but my saves are gone the next time I boot up the system (even though I can see the .sav files in the GBA_SAVE folder). I'm talking about the PSRAM mode btw (only NOR mode loads the saves). Super Mario World and Top Gear Rally loaded the saves fine in PSRAM though.

Also, the Cyclo manual says that the saves are compatible with GBA ExpLoader, but why aren't they loading when using Cyclo to launch GBA games? Is there something I need to do to load saves?

I'll just stick to using GBA ExpLoader since it works perfectly.

 

[Dsparil]

According to GBA EXPLoader v0.57 one of my 3n1s is a [New3n1]. Using Cyclo v1.4, Opera works fine (auto-detects for ram), and the rumble function works appropriately.

It doesn't work for me. Is your New3in1 black or white?

Black. But it seems that something may be wrong on your end. Not just some different and unsupported hardware model/revision that no-one else has, but a malfunction/break/bad install/wrong setting.

I'm sure there is nothing wrong on my end especially since GBA ExpLoader works perfectly. Also, the fact that GBA games are working on my end demonstrates that it's partially working. There must be some hardware differences between the black and white New3in1.

I'll post youtube videos since you're not taking my word for it.

 

[johnchan]

I have a new 3in1 and both rumble and opera work for me. Dsparil, do you have rumble enabled in the cyclo settings menu? This is required in order for it to work.

 

[Dsparil]

I have a new 3in1 and both rumble and opera work for me. Dsparil, do you have rumble enabled in the cyclo settings menu? This is required in order for it to work.

If you read my post, I have to have rumble enabled in the CycloDS menu for rumble to even work with GBA ExpLoader.

I'm going to try to reflash this once more as a last ditch effort.

 

[Akiranon]

I have a new white 3 in 1 and it's working absolutely great. Rumble works just fine, although it's not really all that enjoyable. The browser works great too (make sure you're using a clean rom).

I'm still using ExpLoader for GBA, since I've had a few problems with the Cyclo one.

 

[Dsparil]

I found the solution to my problem. The only thing I had to do was load a rom to NOR(I had it blank before) for the first time, and now my CycloDS will automatically detect my New3in1 in rumble enabled games and the NDS Browser.

I wonder if it will still work if I clean the NOR again.

edit: Even if I clean the NOR, my CycloDS still autodetects it.

 

[gratefulbuddy]

Glad to hear you got it working.

 

[Dsparil]

Glad to hear you got it working.

Thanks for the help. Now I'm stuck with deciding to wait until 1MBit saves are supported by keeping GBA ExpLoader, or just patch the games and get rid of GBA ExpLoader altogether.